Benefit from face-to-face meetings leading to possible business opportunities

Exhibit at a 3-day targeted trade fair

ABOUT THE MISSION

A 5-day mission composed of market-specific business seminars, group company visits, one-on-one meetings at a targeted trade fair with showcasing and networking events to maximize opportunities for the EU participants.

The mission is targeting the ICT sectors and is organised on the fringes of the "Embedded Technology and Internet of Things” Japan 2016 Exhibition and Conference (http://www.jasa.or.jp/expo/english).

Prior to the mission, an online pre-departure briefing is organised.

OBJECTIVES

Through this mission you have the opportunity to:

meet potential business partners

create new business opportunities

develop partnerships and business cooperation on global markets

attend match-making events

increase your innovation capacity and become more competitive on a global scale (as an SME),

prepare the ground for practical cluster cooperation across borders and make a more strategic use of transnational cluster cooperation on markets outside Europe in areas of strategic interest (as a cluster)

The programme targets participants from SMEs (large companies may apply but will not be given priority) and clusters from the EU or COSME partnering countries, active in sectors covered by the trade fair, i.e:

work for a company that is > 50% EU (or COSME partnering country) owned;

work for an organisation that is an EU (or COSME partnering country) juridical person;

be supported by his/her employer

be able to participate in the entire programme

have a good command of English

be a manager with proven experience in industry

SELECTION

The main criteria for selection are:

the professional & educational background of the candidate;

the strategy of the participant's company regarding Japan.

In order to ensure a high degree of personal attention, the number of participants in this mission is limited to 20.

PROGRAMME DESIGN AND CONTENT

Structure: A 2-day orientation session and lecture (Tokyo) Group company visits (Tokyo area) Plenary session with clusters and Authorities Participation in the trade fair within an EU delegation booth Matchmaking sessions during the trade fair (Makuhari Messe, Chiba)

PARTICIPATION FEE – GRANT - GUARANTEE - CANCELLATION

The EU-Japan Centre covers all costs directly related to the mission (i.e. lectures and seminars, group study trips, including travel outside Tokyo, trade fair registration, booth rental & printing service to give participants more visibility, access to the partnering system; interpretation during B2B meetings and simultaneous interpretation during individual presentation at the fair)

The participants' companies must cover travel costs to/from Japan, accommodation and any other costs not covered directly by the EU-Japan Centre (living expenses).

SMEs * and CLUSTERS **:

Participation is free. On top, SMEs and clusters benefit from a €600 grant.

SMEs and clusters must pay a 100% refundable deposit of €1,000 to guarantee the place on the course.

Failure to transfer the deposit by the deadline set by the Centre may result in the offer of the place being withdrawn.

The deposit will be refunded within 8 weeks after the course, minus any unpaid bills, provided that the participant attends the entire course (absences during the course may lead to deductions amounting to 120 EUR/day) and submits any and all reports the Centre asks him/her to make.

If, for whatever reason, a participant cannot take up his / her confirmed place, the deposit may NOT be refunded.

OTHER ENTITIES (entities that cannot be considered as SMEs * or clusters **):

Other entities must pay a contribution of €1,000 towards the costs incurred by the EU-Japan Centre in relation to the company's participation.

Failure to do so by the deadline set by the Centre may result in the offer of the place being withdrawn.

If, for whatever reason, a participant cannot take up his / her confirmed place, the contribution may NOT be refunded.

(*): SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) are companies meeting the standard European Commission criteria for an SME which have applied successfully for a scholarship. Other companies are large companies or SMEs that fail to apply successfully for a scholarship.

(**): Clusters are those who are registered in the European Cluster Cooperation Platform (http://www.clustercollaboration.eu). Registration on that platform is free of charge.